Telescopic container



J. F. POWELL.

TELESCOPIC CONTAINER. APPLICATION FILED AUGJY. I9I6.

1,344,716. PatentedJune29,1920.

M. Q 4 @L FPoweH FQVVELL, OF FLINT/MICHIGAN, ASSIGNQR GE GEE-FOURTH TJAMES S.

HQDGINS, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.

TELESCOPIC CONTAINER.

Application filed August 17, 1916.

1 b (idler/ham it may concern:

Be it known that L'JAMns FPOWELL, a citizen ofthe United States ofAmerica, residing at Flint, in the county of Genesee and State oflilichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTelescopic Containers, of which the following is a specification,reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to telescopic containers, and more particularlyto a tobacco container that may be easily and quickly reduced in itslongitudinal dimensions for the following reasons.

First, a container in accordance with my invention permits of twoseparate packages of tobacco being placed therein, one above the other,whereby the uppermost package of tobacco may be used independent of thelower package which is maintained air tight and in its originalcondition.

Second, a telescopic container for two separate superposed packages oftobacco permit of the container being collapsed after the uppermostpackage of tobacco is used, whereby easy access may be had to the lowermost package of tobacco and the container, in its entirety, occupycomparatively small space in a pocket. a

Third, a container in accordance with my invention permits of all of thecontents thereof being easily obtained, whether in package form orloose, and without any danger of the fingers being cut or injured.

Fourth, a telescopic container which provides a rigid receptacle whenextended and becomes more rigid whencollapsed. It presents a neatappearance and is susceptible to any desired finish with the usualamount of advertisement matter identifying the brand and contents of thereceptacle.

ll'attain the above and other results by a. simple, durable andinexpensive metallic structure which will be hereinafter specificallydescribed and then claimed, and reference will now be had to thedrawing,

wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a telescopic container, partlybroken away and partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional View of the same taken. on the linelL-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the container, partly broken away;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June ttfitlo Serial no. 115,869.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of the i same.

Reference will first be had to Figs. 1 to linclusive, showing thecontainer as composed of an upper section 1 and the lower section 2, theformer adapted for sliding on or telescoping the latter. These containersections are oblong in cross section providing parallel side walls androunded. end walls. Each section is preferably made of a. single pieceof metal properly bent and edges thereof connected by the usual seam3'01 interlocking means. The cross sectional area of the upper section 1is slightly larger than the cross sectional area of the lower section 2and said lower section has a bottom plate 4 connected thereto. The upperedges of the lower section 2 along the parallel side walls are cut andreamed to provide outer longitudinal flanges 5 in parallelism with theside walls of the lower section, these side walls being best shown inFigs. 1 and 3.

The upper section 1 of the container has the lower edges thereof, at theparallel side walls, cut and reamed to provide inner flanges 6 and theseflanges are adapted to frictionally engage the side walls of the lowersection 2 and abut the flanges 5 thereof when the upper section 1 isextended relative to the lower section 2. The uppersection 1 has theusual bead 7 and lid 8, said lid being preferably hinged, although itmay be made removable.

In Fig. 5, there is illustrated a slight modification of the yieldableconnection between an upper container section 9 and a lower containersection 10. The lower container section 10 is constructed similar to thelower section 2, but the upper section 9 has the lower edges thereofoffset, as at 11 and provided with flanges 12 similar to the flanges 6of the upper section 1. The offset portions 11 of the upper section 9are adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the lower section 10, andthe advantages of this other modification of my invention, wherein alower container section 13 has theupper edges thereof reamed or flaredoutwardly all around the'section, as shown in Fig. 7. The uppercontainer section 14 has,the

lower edges thereof beaded, as at 15, with.

Again considering the container shown in Figs. 1 to l inclusive, tobaccoor other material may be placed in the container either loose or inpackage form. When loose tobacco is packed within the lower section 2,the contents of said section will tend to spread the walls thereof andcause the upper edges of the lower section to more firmly andfrictionally engage the lower edges of the iipper section 1, therebyholding the upper section 1 extended relative to the lower section 2.After tobacco has been removed from the upper section 1, it is onlynecessary to strike the upper section 1 a blow on the lid thereof or tobring pressure to bear on the upper section 1, whereby it will slide onto the lower section and pre; sent a structure similar to that shown inFig. 1-. This same container may receive separate wrapped packages 16 ora single package 17. The packages 16 have been shown in connection withFig. 5 and while using the uppermost package 16 it is possible tomaintain the lowermost package in its original condition, until thereceptacle is collapsed and the upper wrapper removed,

at which time easy access is had to the lowermost package. Assuming thatthe uppermost package 16 has been removed, it is necessary to bringconsiderable pressure to bear upon the upper end of the upperse'ction 9to spring the lower edges of said section over the upper edges of thelower section 10; the offset portions 11 of this form of container morefirmly holding the upper section 9 extended relative to the lowersection 10 than the form of connection shown in Figs. 1 and 3. 7

The single package of tobacco or material has been shown in connectionwith Fig. 6 and after the contentshave' been removed from the upper.portion of the package 17, the receptacle may be collapsed and portionsof the wrapper torn off to permit of easy access to the contentsthereof.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that my invention in itsbroadest aspect, involves a two-part collapsible container especiallydesigned as a tobacco can together with a yieldable connection betweenthe parts of the container which will maintain a rigid structure yetpermit of the container being easily collapsed when pressure. is broughtto bear on the top or bottom of the container or by simultaneouslyforcing the top and bottom toward each other. v

lVhile in the drawings there are illustratedthe preferred embodiments ofmy in vention, it is to be understood that the structural elements aresusceptible to such changes, in size, shape and manner of assemblage asfall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is A tobacco container, adapted to be carried in thepocket, comprising a pair of sections of similar cross-sectional contourand differing in cross-sectional dimensions to permit telescopingrelation of the sections, each section having an open end, the sectionsbeing assembled with the open ends overlapped to produce a compartmentopen to both sections, the sections having corresponding walls spacedapart a distance to receive abutments carried bythe respective sections,the abutments of one section facially contacting the corresponding wallof the other section and having a width suflicient to provide anextended contact between the abutment and wall, said sections havingcomplemental means to normally maintain said sections in fully expandedpositicn with the abutments in juxtaposed relation, said means beingdisengageable by pressure applied at an end of the assembly, one of saidsections having a permanently closed end with a configuration to limitthe length telescoping movement when said means has been madeinetfective.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the p'resencepf twowitnesses.

JAMES F. POWELL.

Witnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, G. E. MoGnANN.

